Safety device for firearms.



PATENTBD MAR. 5, 1907. F. A. BECKWITH. SAFETY DEVIGB'FOR FIREARMS.

APPLIOATIONPILED DEU. 10, 1906.

annum:

tll'ltiitliilldl @"lilfiih PATENT FFE.

nificnnrru, or ievinvsron, WYoMrNe, AssrGNon or ONE-HALF To 'meinte iv.Jones, or SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

ense-rv nieuwe Fon Freenews.

Specification of Letters Patent. .Patented March 5, 1907.

Application tiled December 10,1906. Serial No. 347.180.

'o ZZ 107mm it may cou/ecrit: l lar to Fig. 1, showing the hammer lockedat Be it known that I, FRANK A. BECKWITH, i

a citizen oi the United States, residing at i Evanston, in the county ofUinta and StateV of TWyoming, have invented certain new and g' usefulimprovement in Safety Devices for l T do hereby declare the folthehammer locked at full-cock. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the safeyfcatchdetached.

stock g 3, the upper tang of the gun-lckg 4, the hammer, and 5 thetrigger. These parts may be of any ordinary or desired construction, asthese parts of the gun form no part of my invention. The hammer is shownas provided with the usual full-cock notch 6 and half-cock notch 7. Withthese notches the point 8 of the trigger engages to hold the hammereither at full or half cock in the ordinary way.

2) is a slide which is preferably of the form best shown iti-Fig. 4,and, as shown, consists Firearms; and i lo .v ng to be a full, clear,and exact descr pltion ot the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the saine.

My invention relates to certain new and useiui improvements in safetydevices for '.fiiearins, and the particular class of firearms to whichmy invention is particularly applicabie shotguns and riiies in which anexposed hammer centrally located in the upper tang is use-d.

it iretpuently happens that a gun is acci dentally discharged when thehammer is set at halt-cock by the hammer being caught and drawn back andthen allowed to fall. It also frequently happens when carrying a gun atfull-cock that either the hammer or the 10, provided at about its centerwith the elongated slot 11 and at its forward end and at one sidethereof with the projecting arm 12. 13 is a lug extending out from theside of the arm 12 and fo'ms the (atch of the safety device. Near theforward end of the of a substantially rectangular body portion halfcock-Fig, 3 is a similarview showing 1 designates the breech ot the gun; 2,the

IOO

25 trigger is caught by brush or something and arm 12 is a finger-button14, connected to the gun accidentally discharged. rl`hese acthe arm 12by means ofthe shank 15. The ci dents may be entirely prevente by my inupper tang 3 of the gun-lock is provided With vention, as the hammer maybe locked a slot 16, through which the shank 15 passes, against allmovement when itis at either the button' 14 sliding on the top of thetang,

3o full or half' cock. The button by which the as shown.

loc-li' is operated is located beside the ham- 17 is a screw passingthrough the slot 11 mer, Where it may be readily operated, so and intothe under side ol the tang to hold that the gun can be `carried lockedat fullthe slide in position and guide the same in its cock, and when itis desired to ire the gun movement.

35 the button can be pushed during the move The arm 12 of the slide liesadjacent to the ment of tl e gun to the shoulder, so that the side ofthe hammer. In the side 'of the gon maybe iired without any loss oftime. hammer adjacent thev arm 12 l provide a My invention thereforeconsists in providmilled slot 18, which when the hammer is at ing asimple and eil'ective device by means of half-cock, as shown in Fig. 2,is in line With 4o whichthehaimncrmaybelockedeither atfullthe lug 13 andparallel to the line of movecock or halt-cock and When locked preventedment of the lug. Consequently the slide `'rom any movement; whereby thedischarge maybe moved back to the position shown in ci the armabsolutely prevented. Fig. 2 and cause the lug to engage the notch hyinvention iurther consists in certain 18. 19 is a second slot milled inthe side of 1,5 constri'wtions, combinations, and arrangethe hammer,which slot referably will be in ot parts, the preferred form of Whichline with the lug 13 Wien the hammer is l be first described inconnection with the drawn back just beyond full-cock, so`thataccompanying drawings andA then the invenwhen the hammer is in thisposition the slide tion particularly pointed out in the claims. maybepulled back, causing the lug 13 to en- 5o Figure 1 is a side elevation,partly in secgage the slot and hold the hammer at full g tion, of thebreech and lock of a repeating shotgun, showing my invention as appliedthereto, the hammer being shown down against the tiring-pin. Fig. 2 is aview simicock, as shown in Fig. 3.

The purpose of having the slot 19 located beyond the full-cock positionof the hammer is to absolutely insure the point of the trigger seawa--catching the'ull-coclr notch when the harn-A 3. ln a lirearm. of theclass in which the mer is released by pushing the slide forward, hammeris located eentrall of the u per and. thereby absolutely prevent.accidental tang, of a slide mounted on t e under si e of discharge whenthe hammer is released. In said tang and provided with a part adapted 5the side of the hammer adjacent to the slide for engagement with thehammer, said slideA 5 provide an arcshaped recess or groove 20, beingmanually operable to engage the ham` which ,frivesA a clearance for thelug 13 when mer-and lock and unlock the same; rthe slide is in itsforward position. 21 is a 4. In a firearm of the class in which theleaf-spring secured to the rear end of the hammer is located centrallyof the ku per 1o body 10 of l'he slide by means of a rivet or tang, of aslide mounted on the under si e of 7o other fastening' means 22. 23 aretwo said ana adjacent the side ofthe hammer, a notches out in theunderside of the tang and projectlon on the slide, said hammer beingadapted to be engaged 'by the curved end 24 provided with a slot solocated on the side of of the leaf-spring when t eslide is at its forthehammer that said slide may be manually 15 Ward and rear positions,whereby the accil operated when the hammer is half-cocked to 75 dentalmovement of the slide is prevented. lock said hammer by causing saidprojection From the above it'will be seen that by my to engage saidslot.

' In a firearm of the class in which the hammer is located centrally ofthe upper zo being' raised or pushed down against the tang, ot' a slidemounted on the under side ot' 8o firing-pin. It also provides a meanswheresaid tang adjacent the side of the hammer, a

by the hammer can be positively locked at projection on the slide, saidhannner being full-cock. The button 14 is conveniently i provided with aslot so located on the side oi' located so 4that it can be readilyoperated by j the hammer that said slide may be manually 25 the thumb ofthe right hand and when the operated when the hammer is full-cocked to85" hammer is fully cocked and locked can be lock said hammer by causingsaid projection readily pushed forward to free the hanuner to engagesaidslot. v' and permit the-tiring of the gun without any j 6. In alirearm of the class in which thel loss of time. hammer is locatedcentrally of the upper go lf desired, the letter S or the word tang,ofashde mounted on the under site of 5o Safe may be placed on the uppertang in said tane; adjacent the side of the hammer, a position to eexposed when the button I3 is projection on the slide, said hammer beingmits rear position and covered when the butprovided with two slots solocated on the side ton is in its forward position. f ol the hammerthat. said slide may be manu- 5 5 The device contains few parts, ischeaply ally operated when the hammer is half` 95 constructed, and maybe applied to any l. cocked or full-cocked to lock said hammer by formoi' firearm desired. Furthermore, it is causing said projection toengage one or the to Abe noted that the button when pushed other of saidslots. forward does not interfere with'the ordina-ry 7. In a. iirearm,the combination with a 4o operation of the gun, and as long as it isperl hammer, ol' means adapted to be manually 100 mitted to remain inthis position the ,(run opmoved into position to lock the hammer in aerates as if there-was no safety device attached position slightly pastits full-cocked osition.

toit` l l il In `a irear'ii of the class in w ich thev `iWhile l havedescribed what l believe. to haniincr is located centrall of the u per1.5 be the preferred form of my invention, I dej tang, of a slidemounted on t 1e under si e of 105 tsire to lave it understood thatchanges may said tang adjacent the side of the hammer, a be made withinthe scope ofthe appended projection on the slide, said hammer beingclaims in the form, construction, and arrangel provided with a slotsoloeated on the side of ment of parts without departingr from the thehammer that saidslide maybe manuall O .Spirit oi my invention. operatedwhen said hammer is held slightly |13 y W hat I claim as new, and desireto secure beyond the full-cocked position, to lock said by LettersPatent, is` hammer by causing said projection to engage l. In atires-rm, the combination with a i said slot.

animer, of means adaptcd to be manually l In testimony whereof l .affixmy signature 5 `1moved intp position po loelk and unlock the in presenceof two Witnesses; iammer w ien it is ha f-coc red. l

2. vin a firearm, the combination with a i FRANK A' BECKWITH hammer, ,ofmeans adapted to be manually Vitnesses: operated to lock and unlock thehammer F. W. BECKWITH,

. G. REX.

i when itis either uli or half cocked.

